What If? : Loud House Edition
by Zoinks81
Summary: A collection of What If? and AU stories about the Loud House. (Re-upload because of technical difficulties. If they persist please contact me)


**A/N: Gonna try this again, guess something got messed up when uploading. Hopefully you can read this now. Thanks to Takaluca for pointing it out.**

 **Hey guys, it's your old pal Zoinks81 here. Sorry I have not posted in awh ... okay a loooooong ass time. Let me do a quick catch up then on to the story. Don't worry you can skip this part.**

 **So after the holiday's I stopped writing for a bit, which made it harder when I started up again. I have a few stories I am working, but they are slow going do to writers block, indecision, personal drama, and few other things. I am hoping to get the big one done by the end of summer, but as it keeps growing, it may be September. Sorry, but it's gone from a short story to a novel, and like I have stated before I don't publish until it's done. But you do have my guarantee that I WILL NOT stop a story once it's up. I had to stop for a moment to write this little idea out because I hit a wall. Oh, and yes it's a Katverse story if you are one of the ones who likes that stuff.**

 **If you are wondering about the co-written thing with J-Russ, that hit a snag as well as his computer crapped out. But once that is all taken care of we shall return.**

 **Quick shout out to all the people who have stuck with me and keep faving my work, or commenting on it. You guys keep me plugging along.**

 **Also thanks to whoever put Caught on TV Tropes. There were six things I set out to do with this stuff. Improve my writing, get fans, get some fan art bases off my work, get, get a story mentioned TV Tropes, and get reviews from my fav writers on here. I am not just waiting on one last person for that last one, but I know he is busy killing Lincoln.**

 **Okay, gonna shut up now, and remind everyone I don't own a thing, and don't claim to. See you at the bottom.**

We Endure

By Zoinks81

Haynes high school was at the corner of Sullivan and DaBonet street on the edge of downtown Royal Woods. Across the street was a diner that had been there since 1955 called Joe's, and yes they had the sign out front that said "Eat at Joe's". They boasted the best greasy burgers and creamiest shakes in town, and was a popular lunch spot for the kids that went to Haynes. The high school was named after Dr. Andre Haynes, a prominent African American educator, the first black man to become principal and then go on to be superintendent. The place was a large two story building made of red brick with a parking lot on one side, and a field in the back for their sports programs, the Haynes high Woodchucks. Their football team ranked number five in the division, and three of their top players would go on to be drafted by the NFL after college. It was a pretty good school filled with kindhearted teachers and well meaning students. One such student had a heart of gold and hair of snow. He was once a kid with a smile so bright that he could light up a dark room. But as history often tells us, things can change, and that golden heart can shatter like the windshield of a car.

It was getting close to that time when the school bell would ring and classes would get out. All the kids would part like rats abandoning a sinking ship, going to their next destinations, some would go home some out with friends, and some would be off to after school jobs. For Lincoln, that next destination would normally be an after school job but he had the day off, so he was homeward-bound. He got the day off from his boss at Gus' Games and Grub, Donny, who was cool enough to let him have some time with his family. There was a time that going to the arcade meant having a good time with his friends, Clyde, Stella, and at one point even Ronnie Anne. Of course there was also a time when going home to spend time with his family meant something different as well. Those days were now gone, went up in a cloud of fuel smelling smoke and the sounds of crunching metal and shattered glass.

He pushed the thoughts of his troubled past back into that hole whence it came, hoping that maybe he could keep those images locked away for good. Of course that was a stupid idea. Dumbest god-damn thing he thought of since that sexual fantasy he had about his math teacher. Jesus that Ms. Turner was hot. And she knew what she was doing, wearing a low cut top and showing off her cleavage to a bunch of horny teenagers. Lincoln had the idea that it was only a matter of time till he turned on the TV and saw her picture on the local news. "Hot teacher gets caught in hot love affair with student". Yeah, that would be the headline, and there would probably be footage of her being led to a police cruiser in cuffs, trying to cover her face in embarrassment. Life, what a wonderful thing it was. No, he knew that it was pointless to push away thoughts about the past. Not with today being the day that he went to go see everyone.

The bell finally rang, and the kids filed out with Mr. Sanchez reminding them of their homework for the weekend. They had to do a creative writing assignment, something that spoke to their true personality. Mr. Sanchez was one of those teachers who liked to delve into the inner workings of his students minds. Lincoln was not sure he really wanted to wade around in the dark waters of his inner thoughts, lord knew what was swimming around in there as of late. He knew it was not longer the adventures of Ace Savvy or cheat codes for Muscle Fish.

He walked to his locker, avoiding the eye contact of those that still looked at the scar on his face. It was bad enough that he had this damn white hair, now he had a scar along his cheek. It stopped just before his right eye. The doctors told him he was lucky the glass didn't go deeper or reach his eye. He could have lost it. Of course to him an eye patch wouldn't have been that bad, he already felt that he looked like a freaking James Bond villain. All he needed was a white suit, a cat to stroke, and a female partner with a cheesy sex pun themed name. Tit's O'Plenty, or something like that. He smiled thinking about the name.

When he reached his locker he saw Clyde, Stella, Mollie, Rusty, and Liam all standing around and waiting for him. He gave his usual head nod, getting back a much more enthusiastic greeting from his friends.

"Hey buddy, how was English?' Clyde asked.

"Meh, it was boring but not as bad as Science these past few days." He said, opening his locker and stuffing his books inside.

"Not like Math with the Ms. Turner huh?" Liam said in his southern accent.

Lincoln turned his head and smiled at Liam. _Keep it up buddy and it will be you in the headline with Ms. Turner_. He removed the books and notebooks he would need for his homework over the weekend. Sticking everything in his backpack, he shut his locker with a clang and turned to face his friends.

"Are you free to hang out today?" Stella asked. "Renee has been asking about you for a little while." She said this last part with an iota of playful deceit in her voice.

Once Lincoln got into high school he started to run into a few girls that he had known, or met once or twice, that did not go to Royal Woods Elementary. One of them was Renee, the girl his friends once tried to hook him up with when they thought he was dealing with a break up with Ronnie Anne. Things could have been pretty cool between them, as they seemed to have a lot in common, most noteworthy a love of the comic book Ace Savvy. However, things broke down into a fight when they came across the same issue they were missing from their Ace Savvy collection. A brief tug of war ended when she kicked his ass and bought the comic for herself. That may have seemed drastic, but it was mild within the wonderful word of comic fandom. Once they met again in high school, she apologized for her behavior and offered to buy him a copy of the book if he still needed it, which he did but he didn't want her to go to that sort of trouble. Sure he had become a little more bitter and cynical about life, but deep down he was still the same old Lincoln Loud.

The worst part of it all was that his friends were always trying to set him up and get him to date someone. It wasn't just Renee, they would try to introduce him to all sorts of girls. They just kept pushing for him to meet anyone new, saying it would be good for him to open up again. Perhaps he would have been more open to the idea if he was not already in a secret relationship. Renee was a nice girl, certainly pleasing to the eye and had a wonderful personality, but he was taken. Lincoln wished he could share the news about his girlfriend to his friends, not just to get them off his back, but because he hated to keep it a secret. She wanted to, as she said, keep it on the down low for the time being. She was a little concerned with how others would react to their love.

"I wish you guys would stop trying to get me a girlfriend." He told them. "I would say I'm gay, but I know you would just try to hook me up with a guy then."

Clyde stroked his chin. "I think Chandler is single." He joked.

"You don't have your glasses anymore pal, I can kick your ass now." Lincoln joked.

Clyde had gotten contacts when they got into middle school so he could try out for some sports teams. He was working on a plan to impress Christina and hopefully get a date with her. Instead, he got a face full of basketball and two over protective dads telling him he was forbidden from going out for any team more physical than the Chess team. Ironically he would later slip while celebrating a victory after a chess game and break his leg.

"Such language." Stella gasped. "You kiss your sister with that mouth?"

"No, I kiss Rusty's mom." Lincoln said with a devilish grin. The group all laughed except Rusty who folded his arms and scowled in disapproval of the joke.

"Not cool man, I wasn't even ragging on you." Rusty whined.

"You would have, it was a preemptive strike."

Rusty shrugged. He would have said something eventually, he was just hung up on the comment about Lincoln being gay. For some reason that almost made sense to him, as he had not seen his friend with a girl since he was with Girl Jordan. They were cute together, but things ended abruptly after the accident. After that Lincoln just wanted his space. Jordan tried to wait for him, but she eventually found someone else and moved on. Rusty wondered if maybe Lincoln never got over the heart break of her.

"What are doing today man?" Clyde asked, slipping his arm around Stella.

"Going to visit the family." Lincoln said.

There was a sudden hush among the group of friends, and Lincoln almost felt like it traveled beyond, working its way throughout the halls of the school. Everyone knew, it was not exactly a secret what happened. Hell, it was on every major news channel in the country for a short period. For a time the phone at the house rung nonstop with calls from reporters trying to get an exclusive interview. It got to the point where he unplugged the phone and didn't leave the house until the little shanty town of reporters packed up and moved off their front lawn. They were like vultures circling and waiting for any scraps that could dig their beaks into.

"Sorry man." Clyde offered, his eyes showing a great deal of sorrow and warmth for his friend.

"I know buddy, it's all good." Lincoln told him, forcing a smile. "You guys go have fun, I got the weekend off and maybe we can do something together then."

"Sounds good." Stella said.

Clyde and Stella gave him a hug, then Rusty and Liam fist bumped him. Mollie stepped up and hugged him with a little more affection and tenderness than what Clyde and Stella did. He had suspected for some time that Mollie may have been crushing on him. He thought back to when they were in elementary school together, and how she would always find ways to be around him. In class, she would make an attempt to be his partner on projects, and in gym she always tried to be on his team. During Girl Jordan's pool party she even tried to challenge him in a cannonball contest. She knew he was going to a sleep over at Liam's but also knew that he loved a good challenge. It was like she was upset that he wasn't going to be there so she had to call him out to get him to come. That was when he really started to suspect that there was more there than just the feelings of a simple friendship on her part.

Unfortunately fate had something else in play for them, as Lincoln started to date Girl Jordan once they got into middle school. Mollie started to stand on the edges of the group at that point, always finding excuses to miss out on hang outs. Lincoln felt bad, but there was little he could do besides hope that she would eventually meet someone and move on. Then came the accident and everything in his life changed. He had to grow up a lot faster than he really wanted to, and any thoughts of a girlfriend sort of fell to the wayside for a time.

The group parted ways and Lincoln began his journey home. He walked to the bus stop outside of Joe's and sat on the blue bench as he waited to catch the number 7 back to their apartment downtown. The school wasn't far from the apartment, and he could have walked it, but he new there was a time limit and he decided to just take the bus.

After the accident the van was gone and they were left with no means of transportation. For a little while they were able to bum rides from people who were willing to go out of their way to help, but that soon grew old as Lincoln didn't like the idea of being a burden on his friends. They finally settled on selling the house and getting an apartment closer to downtown, which ended up being cheap enough that they could afford a used car. The car, a 2005 Honda Civic, would be Leni's, as she was the only one who could drive at the time.

The bus pulled up to the stop with a screech and and hiss. The door opened and a woman and son got off, followed by and elderly gentleman with a big bushy beard and backpack slung over his shoulder. Lincoln climbed on and slipped a two dollars into a machine that popped a ticket out for him. He never needed the transfer ticket, so he would often hand it off to anyone who did. He took a seat towards the back of the bus, as many moody teenagers would do, and looked out at the world passing him by as his mind drifter back to the past again.

It killed them to leave the house, but the memories were hurting them more than they were helping them. Lola would not sleep in her room, and neither would Leni. The three of them all slept in the living room, and even then they were barely able to sleep. The worst of it all was the fact that Leni would still have trouble remembering that they were all gone. She would make little comments about how she wondered where Lori was, or what Dad would be making for dinner. Each comment felt like a sharp knife being dragged across Lincoln's heart.

Finally, deciding it was time to leave, they packed up what they needed, and what they wanted to still keep and sold the house. With Leni being eighteen, and with some help from a very good lawyer, she was able to take custody of Lincoln and Lola, which was good as they did not want to go and live with Aunt Ruth. They found an apartment near downtown, moved in and started to make plans for the future. Leni still had her job a Reiningers, and even picked up a second job at grocery store not far from the apartment. Lincoln got a part-time job at Gus' Games and Grub, and planned to find something better after high school. Leni wanted him to go to college, but unless he could get a scholarship, that was going to be nearly impossible.

Lincoln got off at the stop on Becker, which was in front of a family owned convenience store. He would often stop in and get a soda and some jerky if he was in hurry to get to work. The place was simply called The Lotus, and was run by a lovely Indian family. Lincoln, being a master at making friends, was on great terms with the family, enough so that the mother Eva, would often offer him a samosa if she had just made some up. He would have stopped in, but he wanted to get home and make a snack for his sisters, and try to relax before they went out later to see the family.

The good thing about the apartment was that it was only a few blocks from work. That made those late and early shifts a lot easier. Especially with only one car, Lincoln didn't have to worry about getting rides to and from work. Though Leni would only drive when she was with someone, so she didn't always use the car for work. Despite being on medication to help her lack of focus and concentration, she still did not feel comfortable driving alone. Her therapist suggested it was a lingering result of the accident.

Just before Leni finally got her license the family had her tested and found out that she had a form of ADHD, combined with a learning disability. This made it hard for her to keep focus, and explained her scatter brained and ditsy behavior. It also explained why she would often forget things and had trouble in school. The doctor put her on medication that helped get her ADHD under control and help her focus. She also began to take online classes to help further her education. After the accident she put the classes on hold, but also talked about picking it back up again.

Lincoln had gotten his level 1 license when he turned fifteen, and would help out with the driving from time to time. Now he had his level 2 intermediate, which came with a hair more freedom, but still lacked his own car. Oh well, the bus system in Royal Woods was actually pretty decent, and he loved to walk.

Lincoln went into the apartment complex and took the elevator up to the third floor. He exited when the doors opened and made his way down the hall. There was the sound of a booming stereo coming from a door on his right, The Danielson's kid. He loved to listen to his music on full blast when his parents weren't home. Ignoring the thumping of a bass that shook the walls, he walked up to the white door with the gold number C4. A Luan joke would pop into his head each time he looked at the apartment number. The building was only three stories but used letters instead of numbers to mark each story. He put the key in and started to turn it as he heard a familiar noise on the other side. He entered the apartment and was greeted by four excited pets. Charles, Cliff, Geo, and Walt had all managed to stay with them, while most of Lana's reptiles and her pet rat Bitey had to be given away. Lincoln swore he saw sorrowful looks on their faces when they handed them over to their new owners, almost like they were aware of the fact that Lana was gone and they had to leave their home. Lincoln managed to keep Hops, but he usually just stayed in his tank and sulked around. Lola took care of him more than he did, which he assumed was her way of staying close to her twin.

"Hey guys, you hungry?" Lincoln asked, getting a woof and a wag from Charles. Cliff walked over and rubbed against his leg, bumping his head and meowing at his owner. Geo rolled around in his little plastic ball, and Walt chirped from his cage by the window. They could no longer let him out to fly freely in the apartment as he had a close shave with an open window and a stray cat. Thankfully Cliff and Charles came to the rescue. "Alright, I will feed you, don't want the real masters of the house to got hungry or nothing." He joked.

Lincoln put his keys in the bowl on the table near the door, then hung up his coat and backpack on the hooks in the wall. He went to the kitchen and got the bags of food for the Cliff and Charles from the pantry, poured it into their dishes and stood back as Charles went to town like he had not eaten in months. Cliff ate at a slower pace, knowing he wouldn't get anymore until the next day. He put their food away then got the little pellets for Geo, and some seed for Walt. Once the pets were fed, it was time to get to work on the something for the other occupants of the apartment.

Leni and Lola would be getting home soon, the older girl from her shift at Reiningers, and Lola getting out of school. Lincoln's classes ended about an hour before Lola's. He always offered to pick her up from school, but she would tell him that she liked taking the bus. Lincoln understood, as it was a chance to talk with her friends before she had to get home. On his way in he noticed that the car was in their spot on the street, which meant that Fiona would be giving Leni a ride home. He wanted to have a nice quick snack ready for them all when they got back, so he went to the fridge and pulled out some ham lunch meat and Swiss cheese. He went to the cupboard and got some rolls, cutting them down the middle. He then stuffed a slice of cheese into each roll followed by a few slices of ham, then topped it with more cheese. He place the sandwiches on a cookie sheet and popped them into the oven at 350. It wasn't his fathers cooking, but those hot ham and cheeses rolls would hit the spot in a pinch. Lincoln hit the timer and went to sit down on the couch.

He clicked on the TV and flipped channels until he found a game on, the Tigers were playing the White Sox with a three to one lead in the bottom of the fifth. The game stirred up memories of a time when their Dad took him and Lynn to a Tigers game. It was a warm summer day and they played against Cleveland. Lynn and himself had some peanuts, hot dogs, and shared a pretzel they dipped in cheese. At the top of the 7th the Tigers hit a drive down center that was missed, giving their runner on second a chance to go for home, and helping them secure a lead. By the end the score was 5 to 4, with the Tigers winning. Lincoln was never a big sports fan, but that was great day. One of the last they had before shit fell apart.

He turned his head as he could hear the keys rattle on the other side of the door, soon the room was filled with the sound of Lola telling Leni and Fiona about her day at school. She spoke with youthful enthusiasm and wore a grin that matched the cheerful pink princess shirt she had on. When she saw Lincoln on the couch she ran over and gave him a big hug and kiss on the cheek.

"I take it you had a good day princess." Lincoln said.

"As always my prince." Lola told him. She climbed down off him and sniffed the air. "I smell your famous hot ham and cheese." She grinned and licked her lips.

"They should be ready in about five minutes." Lincoln told her.

"Good, I'm hungry." Leni said, dropping her purse next to the chair, where she flopped down and let out a tired sigh.

"Rough day?" He asked.

"Fifty percent off sale on women's shoes." Fiona interjected, whispering the women's shoes part.

"So many feet." Leni groaned.

"There are men out there that would kill for that job." He joked, getting a scowl for the two oldest women in the room. "I'm just saying." He shrugged.

Lincoln got up and walked over to Leni, kissing her forehead and smiling at her and getting a big bright wide grin back. He felt bad that the poor girl was busting her hump to provide for them, but that was the plan for now. He wanted to drop out and just start working now, help lighten her load a little, but when he even tried to suggest it the girls all scolded him for neglecting his education. He knew it was a pointless argument, and if not for them, he should at least finish high school for the memory of the rest of the family.

"Thankfully you got the night off tonight, so we can go have a nice dinner after we visit the others." He told her. "I'll go get the food while you girls sit and relax for a bit." He walked back to the kitchen to get some plates and check on the sandwiches. He failed to notice Fiona follow him.

"Hey, need any help?" She asked looking back to make sure that the others were still in the front room.

"Yeah, you want to get some drinks from the fridge for me." Lincoln said, peeking in the oven to see if the food was ready.

Fiona walked behind and glided her hand across his butt, making him jump a little. He whipped his head around and looked at her with a puzzled expression, getting a seductive grin in response.

"What are you doing?" He whispered.

"Being playful and flirty." She teased.

"I thought you wanted to keep this a secret from everyone?" He asked, getting a nonchalant shrug in response.

"I'm getting tired of hiding, and I don't think Leni or Lola will really care." She confessed. "Your friends might freak, and I certainly don't want to advertise it around town."

"It's not illegal, the age of consent is sixteen." He reminded her. He made sure to look it up before they started dating, but of course at that point he was still a few months shy of fifteenth. He figured they could get around it a bit by just holding off on having sex until he was sixteen. Those were hard times.

"I know, but it still freaks people out with a legal adult dating a high school student." She told him. "I don't want to deal with all the drama, and I certainly don't want you to deal with it."

Lincoln walked over and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He could see her point, it would just be more shit to add on to the steady growing pile. He was pretty sure his friends would freak out, and poor Mollie would be crushed. She would, in time, hopefully move one. Though he was hoping that she would moved on already, as he was starting to feel bad for her. Leni and Lola he was pretty sure would be alright with it. At least he hoped so, as it would make their love a lot more difficult if the consenting adult was not on board with the whole relationship. And Lola proved to be a challenge of her own. She had changed a lot since the accident, but just beneath the surface, swimming like a shark, was the old Lola Loud. He did not want that sharknado on his ass.

"I'll go with whatever you want to do." He told her.

"Have I told you how much I love you?" She asked.

"Not since this morning." He smiled and kissed her.

The timer went off with a ding, giving an angel it's wings, Lincoln thought to himself. _Ha ha Loud, quoting old Jimmy Stewart movies, Dad would be proud of you_. Lincoln pulled the sandwiches out, placing them on plates as Fiona got some sodas from the fridge. He walked out with two plates, handing one to Leni and one to Lola, then went back and got the plate for him and Fiona, who was already sitting on the couch next to Lola. Lincoln took a sit so that Lola was between them, and they all ate while the Tigers lost their lead, the Sox's batter had knocked one out of the park and tied up the game.

"Damn." Lincoln muttered between bites.

"I didn't think you liked sports Linky." Leni commented.

"I don't hate them, but I was never a big fan. Guess it sort of reminds me of happier times." Lincoln said, sipping at a Sprite.

"That reminds me, I need to feed Hops." She was about to get up before Lincoln pulled her back down by the back of her jeans.

"You eat first, then Hops can eat." He told her.

"Yeah you should not handle those icky dead flies before you eat." Leni said with a shudder.

"I would have washed my hands after." Lola pouted.

"Still, you eat first. Hops isn't starving, and he's not going anywhere." Lincoln told her.

Lola picked up her sandwich and took another bite, not seeming to enjoy it as much as she did a few seconds ago. Lincoln knew that she was just pouting, and that soon she would forget all about it and go back to her usual self. He was glad that she had begun to open up again. For a while Lola was closed off, not eating as much, and had stopped doing her beauty pageants. It became a chore just to get her out of bed and off to school. He didn't blame her, part him envied her, wishing he could shut down as well. However, he and Leni had to step up and try to get their lives back on to some sort of track. Eventually Lola started to emerge from her shell, making new friends and smiling again. She still left the pageants in the past, instead focusing more on helping animals. Lincoln assumed that was her way of keeping her sister in her heart, by following one of Lana's dreams.

Lincoln knew that the others still had thoughts about the past and all that happened, an occasional nightmare about the accident, or they would wake up and wonder where everyone was. Though he suspected he was the only one that still firmly clutched at the past and that terrible day. He believed it was because he blamed himself for the incident. It was after all, his idea to take a family trip to Dairyland. Lori had returned from school, wanted to spend a few weeks with the family, and he thought a trip to Dairyland was the perfect way to celebrate. Dad was more than a little hesitant, noting that Vanzilla had been acting funny for the past few weeks, stalling and breaking down. Lana gave the old girl a once over, saying it was good to go, she must have underestimated the summer heat and the added weight of so many people riding in it. Vanzilla did indeed stall, and he ended up leading the family to their deaths. He couldn't help but hold on to the blame and guilt. If only he had been content with staying at home.

He shook the image from his head, but it was too late, his appetite was gone. He placed the plate down on the coffee table in front of the couch and leaned back into the soft inviting cushions of the sofa. The others looked on in worry, knowing that, while he was improving, Lincoln was still letting the ghosts of the past haunt him. Lola put her plate down as well and rested her head on her brothers shoulder while Fiona reached over and put a hand on his thigh. Leni forced a smile, getting up from the chair, walked over and began to collect the plates.

"I'll clean up since you were nice enough to cook." She took the plates to the kitchen and put them in the sink after wrapping up the left overs. She came back out and admired the sight of the two most important people in her life, three if you counted the girl that was currently her best friend. This was her family now. They were smaller than what she had before, and they were all scarred, but they were hers and she would do what ever she had to in order to keep them all together.

Fiona smiled at Lincoln, giving him a look telling him they should spill beans on their relationship. She was still a little nervous, the butterflies in her stomach acting like they downed a gallon of Red Bull, but she thought it could be a welcome distraction from the things that crept around in his mind. Lincoln forced his own smile and nodded in silent agreement.

"So," Fiona said, pausing for a second as she searched for the right words. "I got some news."

Lola looked up in her direction, a curious expression on her face while Leni looked at her friend and coworker with wide-eyed wonder.

"I've been dating someone." Fiona said.

There was a silent but electric hush in the room as the other two girls looked at her, smiles expanding near the point they were going to break out and off their faces. They were delighted to hear the news, and on pins and needles for the reveal as to who this lucky man was.

"I uhh ... well you see .." She stammered, the words getting stuck in her throat.

"It's me." Lincoln interrupted. He smiled in the hopes that it would ease the blow and his sisters wouldn't smack him around. Leni he wasn't worried about, but Lola had somehow gotten both Lynn's arm and temper.

Lola and Leni exchanged glances before they erupted into the Loud family squee of delight. Lola jumped off the couch and over to Leni, the two dancing around in the sort of excitement one would expect for people who hit the jackpot in Vegas. Suddenly they stopped. Lola took two steps back and held out her hand with a look of superiority the likes of which the white haired boy had not seen since the pink princess was six years old.

"I told you so, now fork over the five dollars." Lola said. Leni frowned and went into her purse pulling out a five and slapping it down in Lola's palm. "It's was a pleasure doing business with you." She beamed, snapping the bill with her hands.

Leni turned to Lincoln and Fiona, who had scooted closer and now had her arm around him. "Sorry Linky, I bet against you." She frowned.

"Bet against me?" Lincoln was lost.

"I told her you two were and item, just keeping it under wraps." Lola explained. "She didn't believe me."

"I wanted to, but I just didn't see it." Leni confessed.

Lincoln looked to his newly outed girlfriend and shrugged. "Guess I can do this around them now." He leaned in and kissed her, causing for more enthusiastic squees.

"How romantic." Lola beamed as she twirled like a ballerina, coming to a stop and falling back into the chair Leni was once sitting in. She let out an amorous sigh, resting her arm across her head.

Lincoln shook his head while Leni and Fiona chuckled at the little hopeless romantic.

Lola fed Hops then made sure the other pets had some food and water as well. She changed from her school clothes, putting on a pair of blue shorts and a pink and white shirt with black flower printed on the center. She slipped on her pink and white sneakers and snapped on puller her hair back in a pony tail like Lynn used to wear.

Leni took a quick shower, washing off the funk of the day, and hoping that a brief spray of cold water would help to beat the heat. She got out, dried off, and put on a dark blue skater dress with a white flower print, and slipped on some strap sandals.

Fiona and Lincoln cuddled on the couch for bit longer, watching the Tigers lose to the Red Sox. Soon both Leni and Lola were dressed and ready to go. They went down to the car, deciding to take Fiona's Jeep Grand Cherokee, as it would fit them all better than the Civic.

They drove towards the edge of town, only hitting a few lights and some light traffic. They passed Royal Woods General hospital, their next stop after the cemetery. Along the way was flower shop, Gerties Purrties, where they stopped and bought some flowers to leave on the graves. The woman who helped them was short and possibly in her fifties. It was hard to tell as she was as spry as a twenty-year old and dressed like cougar. She even made eyes at Lincoln as one point, which prompted Fiona to comment that she had better keep a close eye on her man.

When they got to the cemetery they parked on the side of the street, then walked along the path towards where the rest of the family laid to rest. Walking about twenty feet in, they stopped first at the resting place of Pop-Pop and Myrtle. The two had passed on within a year of each other and just before the accident. Pop-Pop went first, his heart giving out while in the pool at the retirement home. Myrtle held on as long as she could, but with out her Albert there to keep her spirits up she gave in to the call of the reaper as well. They left a few flowers and Lincoln said a prayer that still lingered in his mind from his short religious phase. The family was catholic, or was supposed to be, but fell out of practice around the time that Lucy was born. The gloomy girl liked to joke about how that was not simply a coincidence.

Just about ten feet from Pop-Pop was the rest of the family. They were buried in order of age, starting with their dad. Lincoln handed the flowers to Lola, who walked down the line, dropping a few at each grave. When she was done she went back and sat next to the headstone of Lana's grave. She didn't say a word, she never did, she just sat there and leaned against the headstone. Lincoln often wondered what Lola thought while she did this. Did she blame him? Did she just come here to sit and remember the good times they had together? He didn't want to ask her, partly afraid of what the truth would end up revealing.

Leni stood back and cried softly. It always broke his heart to have her come along. He tried to convince her not to join them occasionally, but she just would not have it. She told him that she would be a terrible sister and daughter if she didn't come to see them. Lincoln nodded for Fiona to go and stand with Leni.

Lincoln stood back and looked at the nine graves before him. Nine people dead because he had to go to an amusement park and go on a new ride. A family broken because of him.

His mind drifted back to that day, remembering how they were enjoying a fun day together, the first as a family in a while. Lori had went to college in Great Lakes City, living in the Casagrande apartments with Bobby and his family. It was strange without her there, so when she came home for a week, they wanted to celebrate and do something nice. Lincoln had suggested Dairyland as he and Lana were enticed by the promise of a new ride. The day delivered, all of them having fun and enjoying a brief moment together as a family again. On the drive home Vanzilla had succumb to the intense heat of the summer sun and no air conditioning. Dad had pulled the van to the side of the road, letting Lana get out and work on her. Leni, Lincoln, Lynn, and Lola got out to stretch and play around. Leni was feeling car sick, needing the fresh air, and the other three played a game of tag.

The police report would later state that it was indeed the semi drivers fault. A tox screen would reveal an elevated blood alcohol level, and some drugs in his system. One office would tell them they found out that he was self medicating to try and control his erratic sleeping patterns.

The truck swerved and the driver hit his breaks, making a loud screeching noise that got the attention of the Loud's away from the van. There was no time to react, yet it all played out in slow motion, at least it did in Lincoln's head. Lynn and Lola were about to get back in the van when the sporty Loud saw the truck coming. She wrapped her arms around the little princess and took the brunt of the shock wave from the impact, which sent her flying nearly ten feet away, then rolling another ten feet until her head collided with a rock. Luckily she was able to protect Lola from any serious harm.

It was Lana who was hit the worst. She was still working on the engine when the truck hit, sending her under the vehicle and dragging her for nearly fifteen feet. The police tried to comfort them by saying she probably died upon impact, but still the painful scream of his little sister sent chills down his spine and left him with mental scars and nightmares that he knew were there to stay. Punishment for his mistake.

Once the shock of the crash loosened its grip on Lincoln, he noticed that there was movement in the van. He started to move for the vehicle, but his attention was quickly drawn to the fire that ignited under the van. He knew that it was only a matter of seconds before it touched the leaking gas and oil of both vehicles. He froze as he was not sure what to do, the crying wails of Lily, and the screams of pain from Luan and Luna pierced his ears. He watched as Lori tried to move, tried to help the others from the van. Before Lincoln snap out of it and go help he caught sight of his father. The man that raised him, taught him to be a man. He looked at his son with a somber expression. Lynn Sr. shook his head, as if to tell Lincoln there was nothing he could do, he had to let them go.

The fire caught the leaking fluids, sending both the van and truck up in flames with an explosion that sent Lincoln flying back. He would later wake up as a paramedic checked on him. He was alive, but god how he wished he could have traded places with anyone of his family stuck in that van.

Lincoln stepped forward, his eyes shifting from gave to grave."Hey guys." He said. "I know I say this each time but I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I ever suggested we go to Dairyland. And I'm sorry that I ... that I put you all in this god-damn place." He could feel Fiona and his sister's eyes on him. There was a time when they would come to him, try to tell him he was not to blame. No matter how many times they tried, he continued to wrap himself in the guilt of their deaths. "I hope you can forgive me." He looked down the line of graves, of the people he loved that were no longer with him.

Fiona walked over and put her arms around him, pulling him close to her. She knew she couldn't stop him from thinking it was his fault, but she could try to ease his pain in her own way.

Lola got up and walked over to him and hugged him as well. "They would never blame you my prince."

Leni followed and they ended up in a silent group hug.

After the cemetery they made their way to the hospital, stopping first to get dinner. Visiting hours ended at nine, and they still had about three and half hours left. They went to an Italian place that was just a few minutes from the hospital. The place was decorated nicely, with fancy painting along the walls, and red table cloths with a candle at the edge of each table. The dim lamps that hung above each table gave off enough light so as not to disturb the romantic ambiance of the place.

They took a corner booth near the kitchen. A tall skinny brunette dressed in black slacks and a white button up with a skinny black tie came and dropped off a basket of fresh backed garlic knots. Fiona, Leni, and Lola dug in. Lincoln took one but only picked at it. He knew he had to eat but it was hard to at the moment.

The woman came back and Lincoln caught noticed her name badge, Simone, a pretty name he thought. She took their orders and returned within a few minutes with their drinks. Leni got a virgin strawberry daiquiri, while Lincoln and Lola had Pepsi and Fiona an iced tea.

"So I wanted to ask you guys something." Fiona said. "I haven't brought this up to Lincoln yet, so I thought I would run the idea by all of you." She took a sip of her iced tea after dumping a few sugar packets in it. "The lease on my apartment is nearly up, and I know you guys are having a hard time with money. I was wondering if you would be opposed to a roommate?"

Lincoln, Lola, and Leni all looked at each other. They were not accustomed to asking for help, but they each knew they needed it. Though they mentally questioned the lack of space the apartment offered. The place was small for them, bringing in another body would make things more cramped. They all figured she would be sleeping in Lincoln's room, but still that was not a big room to begin with.

"If you would rather not .." Fiona said, her voice trailing off. They others could tell she was hurt by them not immediately jumping in with kind words and loving praise at the prospect.

"No, that's not it at all." Lincoln quickly interjected. "I'm sure we are all just thinking the same thing. It's not a big apartment."

"I don't even have my own room." Lola whispered over the table.

"I know sweetie." Fiona smiled.

"We would love to have you." Lincoln said. "I would love to have you, but I just worry about us all being crammed in there."

"What about getting a new place, something a little bigger." Fiona floated out there.

"We could, I think our lease is up in a few months anyways." Lincoln pondered.

"Well there isn't a huge rush, you guys can think about it. I just thought it would be something to bring up." She told them.

Simone returned with a tray of plates. She sat down a dish of spaghetti and meatballs in front of Lola, grating some fresh Parmesan on top. Fiona got Gnocchi di ricotta, again with added fresh grated Parmesan. She sat a deep dish with some meat sauce lasagna in front of Leni, who licked her lips and ignored the offer for more cheese. Finally, a plate of mushroom and spinach ravioli in Alfredo sauce was placed before Lincoln. He declined the offer from more cheese as well. Simone disappeared back to where ever it was the waiters and waitresses hung out when not bringing food.

Once they were finished eating, they left, leaving a nice tip for Simone. They got back in the jeep and drove to the hospital, parking as close to the building as they could get. They walked in through a pair of sliding glass double doors. The hospital lobby was a large area with marble tile and walls that were painted white and so clean it looked strange. Hospitals always bothered Lincoln, the cold sterile environment and atmosphere gave off a creepy vibe like a science fiction horror film. He always wondered how long it would be before a strange man in a blood stained lab coat would come and snatch him up, then sew his mouth to another person's ass. He shuddered at this thought.

The one thing that he did always like, besides the fact that the fluorescent lights were minus the annoying hum that the ones in school had, was that they were always greeted by Aaron. He was a nice Asian with a warm smile and a clean-shaven head that reflected the lights. He smiled and pointed them to the elevator on the right, telling them the one on the left was broken.

"Thanks Aaron." Lola said, getting a big bright grin from the man.

They got in and pushed the button for the fifth floor, the doors closed with ding, and the elevator jerked as it started to ascend. It gave another slight jerk as it came to a stop and the doors slid open, once again with a ding. They stepped out to another lobby, this one with a long blue desk surrounded nurses. They were all either sitting and looking at monitors or swapping files while spreading local gossip, or so Lincoln imagined. There were a few laptops attached to rolling stands and carts that looked to hold trays of food, all at the corners that led off to the various hallways.

A chubby nurse with cute round futures, wire framed glasses and curly brown hair walked over to them.

"Greetings y'all, how ya been?" The woman asked.

"Not bad Beth, we just got done eating at that Italian place you were talking about last time." Lincoln said.

"Oh really." She dragged out the word really. "How did y'all like it?"

"It was good." Lincoln told her. "The service was fast and friendly, and the food was just fantastic."

"I know right." She playful batted the teen. "Well you know which room it is, so I won't hold you up."

"Thanks Beth."

They walked down the long hallway, their shoes smacking against the tile that reflected the soft yellow lights above. It looked like a long thin yellow trail leading them to their destination. _Follow the yellow brick road_ , Lincoln thought to himself. He hated the Wizard of Oz, but Leni and Lola loved it, making a Thanksgiving tradition to watch each year.

They got to the room, 510, and walked in. Lynn was in the bed, tubes coming from both arms and surrounded by machines that beeped and a made an almost hissing sound. If not for the tubes running vital fluids essential to keeping her alive, she almost looked like she was sleeping. Beside her bed was an African American man with short hair peppered with bits of gray and white, and glasses. He walked over and extended his hand.

"Nice to see you again Mr. Loud." He said.

"It's nice to see you again Doctor Breaux." Lincoln said. "And please call me Lincoln."

"Alright Lincoln, then I insist you call me Louie." He smiled.

"How is she?" Lincoln asked, though his eyes were on his sister.

"Her vitals are good, and her brain functions normal." Doctor Breaux said. "I know you have no hope of her waking up, but please believe me when I say this, miracles are not just for movies. She could still make a full recovery. So do try to have some faith my friend." He clapped Lincoln on the should and gave slight smile.

Lincoln believed in miracles the same way he believed in the Easter bunny and Santa Claus. They were great characters for movies and stories, but in the real world there was just no place for them beyond silly adds for chocolate and Coke. Hope and faith were for those who didn't kill their family, he couldn't claim that.

The doctor took his leave as Lincoln walked over and took a seat near Lynn's bed, watching her. He had done this so many times that he knew every line of her face, every freckle. She was nineteen now, five years of her life missing, lost in the coma dreams of a Tomboy Sleeping Beauty. Lincoln thought all of his sisters were beautiful, but Lynn ... there was something about her. For some reason he always saw her as the beautiful one. An underrated, unappreciated beauty. He figured it came from the fun loving personality, and a kind heart which she often kept hidden under a mount of temper. She had a natural beauty that she did not feel the need to hide behind a mask of make up. Of course these were all things that the girl had never noticed about herself. She was more than just a tough chick that could kick a football like she kicked ass. She was special, and she was his hero for risking her own life to save Lola.

After the accident the company that owned the truck, Clark's Food and Drug, stepped up and offered a nice settlement. The news outlets called it a hush fund, and Lincoln was hard pressed to disagree, but it was the only way they could afford to keep Lynn alive. He sometimes wondered how much longer they would continue to pay for their ongoing medical expenses. There had to be a point where they would think that things were not going to get better, that she was just a vegetable and the humane thing to do would be to let her die in peace.

"I know I say this every time Lynn." He told her, squeezing her hand. "And I still don't know if you can hear me, but I love you. I .." He bit back the tears at the gate and swallowed his emotions. As much as he loved coming to visit her, he hated seeing her like this. She was the strong one, the fighter. She shouldn't have been hooked up to tubes that kept her alive. "I love you and ... I miss you so much." He laid his head on her arm.

Lola walked over wrapped an arm around his, resting her head on his shoulder. Behind her Leni put her hands on Lola's shoulders, and Fiona knelt beside her boyfriend, stroking his arm to let him know that she was with him and would not go anywhere. As he cried into Lynn's arm, Fiona moved her hand to his back, rubbing it up and down in a comforting motion.

The visits were a weekly thing, though they started out as something they did every other day. Once work and school started it became increasingly difficult to make it as often as they did. So the settled on weekly visits with Lynn. Sometimes they would sit there and tell her what was going on in their lives, sometimes they would read to her. Then there were times like these where they sat around in an uncomfortable and emotionally painful silence. Lincoln had finally sat back in the chair and just watched Lynn. The time faded into oblivion, and before they knew it, it was time to go. Lincoln got up, his eyes red and puffy, and walked with Leni, Lola, and Fiona to the door.

As they made their way to the door, something in him told him to look back again. He thought it was a feeling deep in the back of his mind, like he was never going to see her again, like this would be the last time he got to lay eyes on his beautiful sister alive. He looked at her and frowned.

"I love you Lynn." He said. "I'll try to come back sooner to see you again."

Then .. then it happened. It was feint, so feint that he was not sure it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

 _God dammit brain if you are screwing with me I am going to kill you with weed and beer **.**_

He walked over and looked at her closer. There it was again. he saw it this time, and there was no mistaking it. A twitch. A slight twitch of the finger. Lincoln went and dropped to his knees beside Lynn, tears welling up and rolling off his cheeks.

"Lynn, Lynn can you hear me?" He said, his eyes locked on her. "Come on Lynn, I know you can hear me." He continued to watch, hoping that this was not just a cruel twist of fate suckering him in. He knew what he saw, it had to be real. God dammit it had to be real.

Another twitch, this time her wrist.

"Come on damn it, you are Lynn fucking Loud. You can do better than that." He commanded her.

There was a light gasp and moan as Lynn's eyes fluttered open. She turned her head to look at her brother. "That ... that you lame-o?" Lynn said in an exasperated voice. She gave a feint smile. "You've been crying. You miss me or something?"

Fiona ran to get the doctor while the others gathered around Lynn, tears flowing like coffee at an AA meeting.

Doctor Breaux came back and checked on Lynn. After about an hour and doing a few basic tests to make sure she was okay. He told them they would need to do a little more in depth testing later, to make sure there was no lingering affects such as sever brain damage or lost of motor functions. Though he told Lincoln she appeared to be fine, or a fine as a woman could be after being in a coma for five years.

Lincoln, Leni, and Lola all hugged Lynn, told her that they loved her and that they would be back every day until she got out of the hospital. Lincoln again apologized for his hand in what had happened. Lynn told him to cram it, he had nothing to apologize for. It was all just a damn accident, a big damn accident that messed with their lives like no other, but still an accident. She told them things would get better, they had Lynn back to protect them and she would make sure that nothing else would happen to them again.

They left the hospital and walked back to the parking lot. Fiona held the door open for Lola and helped her in. The little pink princess buckled up, and Leni got in right next to her. They didn't want to leave, they wanted to stay and be with their sister who they thought would be gone forever. But hospital rules and all. So they had to settle for the fact that they would see her the next day.

As they drove back, the car was once again filled with silence. This time it was an optimistic energy that made them quietly contemplate a new and more hopeful future. Lynn was back, and the family that thought they lost everything had just taken one small step from the darkness.

"So ... I guess we are going to need to start looking for that bigger place." Fiona said, breaking the silence. "What with the Loud family getting two more people."

"Two more people?" Leni asked confused.

"Yeah, Lynn will be coming home soon." She said, then looked at Lincoln and smiled. "And then there is Fiona Loud."

"Jumping the gun there aren't you hot stuff?" Lincoln joked.

"Nope. I had faith that you would get Lynn back." She told him. "And I have faith that we will ALL be a family."

"Have I told you I love you?" Lincoln asked.

"Yeah, but I could stand to hear it again." She joked.

"I love you." Lincoln told her.

The End

 **Alright I hope you enjoyed that. I want to explain this a little. I have seen people on here do a collection of short AU stories and wanted to toss my hat in the ring. So I wrote down a handful of ideas and started off with this one. I don't know if I will ever revisit these ideas or not, for now they are all just brief glimpses into various lives of the Loud House across the dimensional spectrum.**

 **The title "What If" comes from Marvel Comics. I really liked that book and just decided to use the name.**

 **Again sorry for the long Authors Note.**

 **Peace**


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